What do recruiters look for in hiring Customer Success Managers?

4 Expertise Customer Success Managers Must Have 

 

To be a Customer Success Manager, you should be the best. 

With its growing popularity and importance, Customer Success has proven the value it can bring to the table- for companies and customers. Customer Success Managers are at the front, paving the way toward goal attainment. They assess the situation, find the best solutions, and create the most efficient action plan. Hence, they are expected to have a lot of experience in doing what they do best- making success possible. 

 

Customer Success Managers are experts. 

Many talks have been dedicated to identifying what makes Customer Success unique. Customer Success Management’s responsibility commonly overlaps with other business functions such as Customer Support, Account Management, etc., and it’s been common to cause misunderstandings. Therefore, when reading some of the job postings for Customer Success Managers, they seem to be looking for something else entirely and not a CS professional. 

However, many companies dedicated to driving their Customer Success growth know precisely what Customer Success Managers can deliver. And from the extensive list of benefits Customer Success brings, it also comes with the highest expectations. You’ve probably seen the intensive amount of expertise recruiters require you to have in sales, support, project management, and more when they’re looking for Customer Success Managers. This seems daunting and, sometimes, impossible. 

Rather than thinking that you can’t ever become a Customer Success Manager, let’s try answering- what do recruiters mean by having expertise that they’re looking for in Customer Success Managers? 

 

Let’s clarify the 4 Expertise Customer Success Managers Must Have recruiters are looking for. 

1. Sales Expertise

Let’s clarify that Customer Success Managers aren’t expected to “sell.” CSMs exist to let customers recognize the value the company’s product delivers them. Then, what does sales expertise mean?Having sales expertise means that you, as a CSM, know the essential skills that identify the customer’s needs. Ask the right questions and actively listen to the customers to suggest the best solutions that fit their needs. In Customer Success Management, you should utilize those skills to identify the best product that can help the customers.

You can correlate the customer’s experience to the company’s product, tell a story and show the customers how you can help them achieve their goals.

2. Technical Expertise

Most Customer Success Management positions require a technical background and deep knowledge of the product/service being provided by the company. Having this knowledge is an excellent addition to what a CSM can offer as it helps you understand what affects the customer’s experience. It makes identifying improvement opportunities easier for the customers to achieve value quickly. Having technical knowledge of the product provides answers to what went wrong and how to solve it.

3. Support Expertise

It is not a Customer Success Manager’s responsibility to “provide quick solutions” to problems, but support expertise provides you with the ability to manage critical situations. A CSM should communicate effectively to the customers to prevent escalations when the customers are experiencing issues, which is essential for Customer Success Managers to avoid churn. Focus on how you can improve customer retainment by proactively searching for solutions that the customers need or may need.

4. Software Expertise

Having software experience means being a Customer Success Manager who understands the product and their customers as they have already worked in similar companies before. Recruiters are looking for CSMs with a “Customer-facing experience with a company like mine” that can quickly fit in. They have the basic knowledge, skills, and experience relevant to the position and the company.Think about the company’s and your expertise and its customers; and how you can help them achieve their goals. 

 

It takes skills and experience to become an efficient Customer Success Manager.  

An efficient CSM that brings value to the customers and companies plans evidence-based strategies. They effectively communicate the needs of the customers to the stakeholders. Moreover, they always proactively go the extra mile to aid these customers in any way they can. It is not wrong to say that intensive training is needed to become a Customer Success Manager. But don’t fret; being a Customer Success Manager can be easy. 

 

Become one of the best Customer Success Managers. 

Everything you need to know to become the best Customer Success Manager, from the fundamentals to the best practices, Practical CSM makes it easy. Our Certified Customer Success Management Professional (CCSMP) program will equip you with the knowledge and skills to secure a head start for your advancement in the competitive field of Customer Success.  

Check out what our students have to say about us here: https://practicalcsm.com/testimonials/ 

 

Kickstart your career in Customer Success. 

We hope this article helped you identify what expertise recruiters are looking for from Customer Success Managers that you can implement in your strategies. Now, it’s time for you to begin your Customer Success career, and our How to Get a Job in Customer Success course is a significant next step! It will help you land your Customer Success job- from preparing yourself to interview roleplays and searching for the best Customer Success Opportunities. 

Jumpstart your career in Customer Success now! https://practicalcsm.com/how-to-get-a-job-in-customer-success-course/